Frequently Asked Question Concerning Toyota Forklift

Toyota Forklift celebrating 50 year in the United States.(Photo courtesy of Bahrns ToyotaLift – Serving Central and Southern Illinois)

You may own or are considering the purchase of a Toyota Forklift. However, you may not be aware that Toyota forklifts have been available in the United States for 50 years. Just recently Toyota celebrated 50 tears in the United States and 25 Years of Manufacturing Toyota Forklifts in the United States. You may also not be aware that more than 500,000 Toyota forklifts have been manufactured in the United States. In fact, Toyota has been the top selling brand of forklift in the U.S. since 2002.

The company’s manufacturing facilities is located in Columbus, Indiana and it is a full-service manufacturing and distribution facility that fabricates high-quality forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers, pallet jacks, tow tractors and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs).

Whether you own a Toyota forklift or you are considering purchasing them, you probably have questions on how to go about selecting a lift, what attachments you might need, how to maintain the machines, and when you should replace a forklift. Toyota knows about your concerns and has answered these questions.

Q: How should I know which Toyota forklift I need?A: It is true that Toyota offers a wide variety of forklift and other material handling solutions. So before you take the plunge and purchase one or more lifts, you should consider your needs. Take stock of how you use your forklifts, how long per day they are being operated, your warehouse maintenance routine, whether it is more practical to use gasoline or electric lifts, etc. Once you have a good idea of your needs, then visit or contact a Toyota forklift dealer and spend time questioning the knowledgeable Toyota forklift salespeople so you can identify exactly what you need. The Toyota dealer will arrange for a member of its sales staff to visit your facility to survey the site to ascertain what your needs are and assist in selecting the right Toyota forklift for your particular needs. You can get started with a visit to the Toyota forklift website and answer a few questions that will help you and a salesperson determine what forklift model or models are best suited for your needs.

Q: What attachments can I add to a Toyota forklift?A: Toyota offers a large assortment of forklift attachments specifically designed for your Toyota forklift. They include side shifters; fork positioners, paper roll clamps, carton clamps, rotators, multiple load handlers, push/pull attachment, and many more.

A side shifter permits the forklift operator to shift the forks of the lift to the left and right without leaving the seat. This saves wear and tear on the lift. There are single and double unit side shifters available that permit the forklift driver to handle one or two pallets at one time.

A fork positioner allows the forklift driver to automatically and quickly adjust the distance between the forks so that the machine can accommodate different size pallets. The adjustment can take place without the operator leaving the driver’s seat.

Paper roll clamps permits a forklift operator to “grasp” the sides of a roll of paper without damaging or crushing the paper.

Carton clamps are commonly used in warehouses that store appliances including washers, dryers, refrigerators, and more. The clamps grab and hold on to the product so that the lift can transport them to another location of the warehouse or on to the loading dock for transfer to trucks for delivery to retailers or the end user.

Toyota Forklift just celebrated 25 of being manufactured in the United Stated.(Photo courtesy of Bahrns ToyotaLift – Serving Central and Southern Illinois)

Rotators are designed to turn an item between 180 degrees and 360 degrees. These attachments are commonly used to manipulate bins or containers that hold products for transport.

Multiple load handlers are used to add a second or third pair of forks to a lift. This is meant to double or even triple the forklift’s efficiency and productivity. They allow a forklift to pickup and transport more than one load at a time.

Push/Pull attachments eliminate the need for using pallets. The attachment permits the forklift to pickup a load that is on cardboard or plastic slip-sheets that feature a lip that the attachment can grab onto. The push/pull attachment actually pushes the load off the forks. They eliminate the need for pallets and this helps to reduce costs.

Selecting the right attachments offers a number of benefits to the operation of a forklift including:

· Helping to increase a forklift’s productivity while offering less stress to the forklift driver.
· Saving time and money if used properly.
· Allowing the driver to make adjustments without leaving his seat to increase productivity.
· Increasing safety.

Note: If you have any questions for your local Toyota Forklift Dealer, please click Find A Dealer which will bring you to the Toyota Forklift “Find A Dealer” page. All you need to do is punch in your zip code and find the dealer nearest you to answer all of your Toyota Forklift questions.